Republican members of Tennessee's congressional delegation shared the stage during an appearance in Nashville earlier this week, as President Donald Trump signs a pair of executive orders meant to expand rural broadband.

Chas Sisk
/ WPLN

This post contains strong language.

Both of the Democrats who represent Tennessee districts in the Congress condemned language used by President Donald Trump to disparage several majority-black nations, but the state's Republicans were silent after asked to comment by Nashville Public Radio on Friday.

Multiple news outlets — including NPR — have reported that Trump used a vulgarity during a meeting with senators to discuss a possible deal on immigration. The president was apparently upset that the deal might extend protections to immigrants from Haiti and African nations who face deportation.

After some members of Congress, including a Haitian-American Republican from Utah, condemned the remarks, WPLN asked members of Tennessee's congressional delegation their views. Early Friday morning, we sent all 11 members the following two questions:

Do you support the president's use of the word "shithole" to refer to the homelands of certain American immigrants and their descendants?

Do you agree with his underlying point — that the United States should categorically deny all would-be immigrants from certain nations? If so, please name those nations.

Nashville Rep. Jim Cooper and Memphis Rep. Steve Cohen, both Democrats, condemned the president's language. As of the close of business on Friday, none of the Republicans had replied.

Sen. Bob Corker

No response

Sen. Lamar Alexander

No response

Rep. Phil Roe, TN-1

No response

Rep. Jimmy Duncan, TN-2

No response

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, TN-3

No response

Rep. Scott DesJarlais, TN-4

No response

Rep. Jim Cooper, TN-5

"The comments were embarrassing, offensive, and totally beneath the dignity of any American official, let alone the President. We are a proud nation of immigrants from all over the globe. They are the essence of our greatness."

Rep. Diane Black, TN-6

No response

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, TN-7

No response

Rep. David Kustoff, TN-8

No response

Rep. Steve Cohen, TN-9

“Donald Trump should apologize to the countries he sullied with his disgraceful comments. It is the President’s job to act on behalf of our nation’s best interests, and as President he must apologize.

“It’s time for the President to forget the Roy Cohn mantra of ‘never apologize, never admit wrongdoing’. It isn’t relevant in 2018, especially to the President of the United States who must act as a diplomat and must deal with the nations of the world, whose support American needs in many arenas – from cooperation on global security and energy and climate goals, to votes in the United Nations.

“As I said on December 31 on MSNBC, Donald Trump is the most despicable human being to ever reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Unfortunately he gives more evidence of this every day. His most recent comment categorizing some nations as “s--- hole” countries is another shameful embarrassment in a long litany of disgraceful moments as President, which includes his categorizing of some neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klansmen at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia as ‘very fine people.”

Related Content

A group of Nashville Kurds could be released from federal custody after spending nearly seven months in detention, after a judge in Michigan determined the government has not shown they're dangerous to the public or flight risks.

In an address that took on the feel of one of his campaign rallies, President Donald Trump touted his record in his first year in office and told farmers gathered in Nashville that they're "lucky" he was willing to run for the White House and keep out Democrats.

Around 4,000 seasonal migrant workers are helping run Tennessee’s farms this year, through a federal visa program. The White House says it wants to let in fewer of these so-called low-skilled foreigners, in favor of highly educated immigrants. On one farm in Joelton, that’s a little worrying to the Mexican workers. But to third-generation tobacco farmer Joey Knight, it’s a huge concern.